Booyah

:)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥

♥

Booyah

!

I think anyone who believes without a shadow of a doubt about any given topic that their stance is 100% accurate and anyone who disagrees is an "idiot" needs to get off of their high horse.

Smoking was the perfect example. EVERYONE knows it's bad. Not one study has proven there to be any benefits to smoking. Yet - people have the choice. People choose to inhale toxic carcinogens 2, 10, 24+ times a day. While the smoking in public laws are getting more strict, it's taking a long time and quite frankly nearly any non-smoker is still subjected to unwanted second hand smoke at least a few times a month or year. How many non-smokers die of lung cancer because they were unwillingly inhaling those chemicals? As a child I grew up in a smoke-filled home and my health has suffered as a result, as many other people whose childhoods were before the 2000's. Even today mothers will smoke during pregnancy. You can't stop them, and children suffer because of this. Do I think all people should stop smoking for their health and for the sake of their children's health? Yes. But it's not up to me. It is THEIR choice.

It just proves that you can show someone all of the facts in the world and yet people will still choose to do what they feel is best for themselves and their family.

Calling peoples "idiots" doesn't make you more correct. It just shows a lack of respect when discussing a topic that has been debated over and over.

I will leave you with this - Science "proved" to us that we shouldn't co-sleep with our babies because of the potential for SIDS. Then science "proved" to us that co-sleeping is best for our children and are now encouraging us to do so. Science, much like everything else in this world, progresses as we all learn and understand more. What was fact to you 20 years ago is not so today; calling something a fact just because there are research papers that agree with you in this moment doesn't mean anything, really. The science of the future disproves the science of the past, and this is called progress - we can only do the best we can with what we have and what we know in the moment. But that is just my two cents. I'm not claiming to be 100% right about anything. Let's put the egos aside and if you continue to debate with each other, let's keep it civil. Calling people "idiots" does not prove your point, it only shows your true character.

"there is no reason to not get vaccinated unless you are either selfish or ignorant." - Say it as loud as you want, that is just your opinion. You CAN NOT know the facts for everyone's situations, no matter how much you research the science behind it. Some people will die if vaccinated. Sometimes eggs are used in vaccines and people with egg allergies die or have tremendous reactions because they were not informed of the ingredients. Just because it suits your agenda and your life, it will not for everyone else, no matter how loud and passionate you are about it.

There are thousands of examples of "scientifically-proven research" that had people believing and doing all sorts of things that have long since been disproved. Just because it suits your belief system and agenda in the moment doesn't mean what you feel has been proven won't be disproved eventually. In the grand scheme of things, vaccines have not been around for long. Have they saved lives? Undoubtedly. But we don't know the long term effects on mankind as a whole for introducing them into our bodies. Who knows what will be uncovered in 400, 500 years from now. :)

Those who get vaccinated can be carriers and spreaders of the disease they were recently vaccinated for - those who have children that cannot be vaccinated or are immunocompromised need to be vigilant about whom their children come into contact with.

I didn't prove your point. I did, however, prove my point. You're not willing to see beyond what is immediately in front of you. That's ok, though; you're clearly under a lot of stress, and I do see how you feel strongly about this issue. And it's not that I don't agree that people who can be should be vaccinated; I'm arguing that the point is people get a choice and it's not up to you or others to make it up for them. If you were told that you could no longer drive the kind of car you want because it is bad for the environment would you be accepting of this because someone told you they felt strongly about it and had "proof" that this was the only way? You wouldn't be happy or accepting about people telling you how to live. No one wants to be judged, especially by those who only have a fraction of the facts.

You can choose to make it about you, but that is a matter of perspective. The world isn't doing it to intentionally hurt you or your family. People choose to smoke cigarettes, putting everyone else around them at risk of developing respiratory issues. I don't want my kids around anyone who smokes, but I can't control what others choose to do. They don't smoke to hurt my kids, they smoke because they want to. It's up to me to make the best choices I can to prevent my children from being subjected to second hand smoke. This is no different.

The world doesn't revolve around you or anyone else - we're all on our own journeys. Should we be considerate of others? Of course. But that doesn't mean that everyone will make the choices you want just because it affects you and your family in that specific situation. You make choices every day that potentially affect others negatively, but would you change those decisions if they presented a strong enough case because it affected them and their lives?

"be a parent. get vaccinated." - I'm so sorry to hear your daughter is battling cancer, MrFord, and my thoughts and prayers are with her and your whole family. However, you cannot paint everyone with the same brush. The benefits do not outweigh the risks for everyone. People choosing not to get their kids vaccinated has nothing to do with you. You can't pretend to know their reasoning, and calling them ignorant without knowing each specific possible reason as to why they came to that decision is superfluous.

People who get vaccinated can still contract the diseases they were vaccinated for. Through no fault of their own. Life is unpredictable, and people get sick. You cannot blame everyone's choices for what you or anyone else experiences.

Well said, Juice.

I can see both perspectives. Some countries want you to vaccinate your child with 48 different immunizations before they are 5! I chose a slightly delayed schedule for mine, and would make separate appointments so they wouldn't have more than 1 or two shots per visit. I do agree that for ones like Pertussis (whooping cough), Polio, etc. that immunizations are better than not doing them at all (however I would prefer not to have my children injected with any of those ingredients) but I say no to the flu shot every year.

I think it's one of those things where you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. The drug companies are not very forthcoming with information about their ingredients and depending on the country you live in, doctors receive big bonuses for promoting medications/vaccines from those companies, regardless of what research has been done on them. Every parent has to do the best they can for their child, and either way you go there are potential risks.

Instead of tearing down parents you don't know (you can't presume to know all of the circumstances involving their decisions - not everyone who doesn't vaccinate is a granola crunching tree hugger - and I am mostly one of those and still vaccinated my kids) you can only do what you can do for your children, you need to stop judging people for something you don't have all of the information about.

Sorry, Suicidal, I can't have any more. :) Maybe next life! :P

I really don't remember that, Marshall.

What concerns me more than my lack of memory is the fact that you remembered that. :\ I don't want to throw around words like "obsessed" or "fixated" but unless you remember when every other person last played, it doesn't look great. ;) lol

Ok. 9 years, supposedly. I'm going in for surgery and will need something to do while recovering, so let's shut up and Rafe On. :)

And thanks, guys. :)

2006? I didn't play then. 2005 was the last time. :)

I haven't played a country in literally one decade. I'm back for one set. Rage On! :)